Over 100,000 power outages reported in N.H.

Monday

Oct 29, 2012 at 11:51 AMOct 29, 2012 at 6:16 PM

DOVER - According to local electricity companies, over 100,000 people in the state are without power tonight, and they expect more will come.

At around 6 p.m. Public Service of New Hampshire reported 71,766 customers affected, Unitil reported 17,072 in the Seacoast, N.H. and 6,459 in central N.H., and New Hampshire Electric Co-op reports 13,574 customers affected.

“Thus far, the storm's track and intensity has matched our forecasts,” Unitil media relations manager Alec O'Meara said. “We continue to work closely with first responders to address any wires down issues reported in order to help keep roads clear and customers safe, and we urge customers to stay inside and stay safe during the late afternoon and overnight hours.”

Due to the severity of the forecast Unitil anticipates the impact to the electrical system in the region could be severe and may result in a multiple-day restoration. Unitil will restore power as long as conditions allow for safe restoration; bucket trucks cannot operate safely in winds in excess of 35 mph.

At 4:50 p.m., PSNH served 500,000 customers in the state, of which a total of 54,994 customers were reportedly "affected."

In a press release sent out at noon Monday, PSNH was reporting approximately 2,400 customers were without power. In anticipation of the storm's arrival, the company has opened its emergency operations center and staffed its regional work centers across the state with 100 PSNH and local contractors line crews and 100 tree trimming crews.

PSNH has requested an additional over 500 additional line and tree crews, in addition to its own crews and local contractors. Crews from as far away as Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas were expected in to New Hampshire this afternoon.

PSNH's call center is fully staffed and ready to field customer calls. If a customer loses power, it is important they report their outage to PSNH. Customers can report outages by calling 1-800-662-7764 or through www.psnh.com.

Customers are reminded to never touch a downed wire and always assume any downed line is live and dangerous. Downed lines should be reported to PSNH immediately.

Customers using generators should make sure they are installed correctly-for their own safety, as well as that of line workers. A generator should only be attached to the house wiring and completely isolated from the utility supply. Without proper isolation, power that is being generated through the home could also feed into the PSNH electrical system, causing an unsafe situation for both line workers and neighbors. Please take care when installing a portable generator. For more generator safety tips, visit http://www.psnh.com/stormsafety/.

"With anticipated high winds and heavy rain we are asking people to stay off the roads this afternoon, particularly after 3:00," Governor Lynch said this morning. "Water in the roadways, flying debris and downed power lines are all possible because of the severity of this storm, which is why we are urging people stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary."

According to the National Weather Service, the main impact of the storm would reach New Hampshire around mid-afternoon today, and continue through the early morning hours of Tuesday. The Weather Service predicts wind gusts of up to 70 mph, rainfall ranging from 1 to 4 inches, and coastal flooding as a result of the storm surge.

WMUR reports gusts reached over 100 mph on top of Mount Washington in N.H. today.

Governor Lynch directed the National Guard to place 100 soldiers on state active duty, with an additional 100 on standby, to assist with the storm response.

"This will be significant storm for New Hampshire, and we are urging all citizens to exercise common sense and extreme caution," Governor Lynch said.